A Greeting
by katerinaaqu
Summary: Yuji Sakai is still missing and Shana has skipped town for a mission. Kazumi Yoshida remains behind, lost in her thoughts and doubts and fears till one day she gets an unexpected visit from a certain old Flame Haze and Yoshida finds herself realizing more about Flame Hazes that she would ever dreamt to know [Khamsin x Yoshida]. Set somewhere between the second and the third season.
1. Chapter 1

Yoshida Kazumi was walking down the street with the schoolbag securely in her small, white fists, right before her hips, as she was heading towards school. It was a particularly warm and shiny morning. Winter seemed to be coming to an end however Yoshida's eyes were sad as if it was the grayest morning she had ever lived.

"Sakai-kun…" she thought

It has been months already since the day the Reiji Maigo Mystes, Sakai Yuji, her classmate and the boy she loved so deeply had mysteriously disappeared and no one seemed to be remembering his existence. It was as if the boy named Sakai Yuji had never lived in Misaki City, as if he had never been born. However Yoshida Kazumi remembered. There was no way she would forget! She had caught herself many times waking up in the morning, almost wishing that Sakai Yuji's silhouette would appear before her eyes to greet her. She immediately, mentally always cursed herself for that and her stupidity. Sakai Yuji had left Misaki City, left for good, and he had taken care of erasing his Existence along with it.

That was because Sakai Yuji was a Torch, a replacement of the real Sakai Yuji who was dead long time now, no, eaten by those monsters called Crimson Denizens, creatures from another world that fed upon human Existence. If a human got eaten, he was immediately replaced with a Torch, a replacement of person that had a tiny, blue flame inside their bodies but once that flame was burned out, the Torch would disappear, and no one would remember that person, as if the person had never been born. Every single clue he or she had left behind, such as photos and notes would immediately erase from the world as well. Was this what had happened to Yuji? No. That couldn't be, because Sakai Yuji was special.

Sakai Yuji was a Mystes, a Torch with a special Treasure inside. And Yuji had Reiji Maigo, the Midnight Lost Child inside him, a particularly rare Treasure that would restore the Torch's Power of Existence exactly at midnight every night. So it was impossible for Yuji's flame have burned out. Right?

These sad thoughts were rushing through Yoshida's head as she was walking down the well-known path to school. In reality there were many other things bothering her aside from Yuji's disappearance. It bothered her that he had gone to her…Yukari Hirai, no, Shana. They had both sent Yuji a note that he had to choose one of them. They waited for him in different spots of the city so he would come to one of them. The last person he met with was her…Shana. Not Yoshida, but Shana. It pained her because this was another proof for her that Yuji loved Shana instead of her. He shared a lot in common with her rival after all. Shana was a Flame Haze, a person with special powers that had a contract with a Lord from Crimson World (Guze) in order to kill Denizens and protect the balance of the world. Her rival knew from the very beginning Yuji's nature. She was even training him how to control his Existence, planning to skip town together one day. How could Yoshida compete such a strong bond between them? However she had tried. She had tried with all her might, with all her love, to claim him. However it was now all over…

Sakai Yuji had left them both behind…

* * *

The school bell brought her back to reality, just at the entrance of the schoolyard. She increased the pace of her footsteps to enter her class.

"Good morning!" she heard a girly greeting

"Ogata-san…" Yoshida blinked.

Matake Ogata was a small-sized yet athletic girl with short-cut chestnut-red hair and bright green eyes. She was always smiling no matter what the situation. Yoshida always admired her cheerfulness and her strong nature.

"You seemed down!" Ogata continued, "Cheer up, will you?" and winked

"Mm!" Yoshida nodded, "Thanks, Ogata-san. I'll be fine."

She walked by an empty desk.

"Yukari-chan didn't come to school today either…" she thought.

Shana had skipped town a few days now. Apparently there was some mission she had to take care of. Of course no one at school seemed to notice her absence. Exactly like no one remembered Yuji Sakai. That very moment a tall boy that wore glasses entered the classroom. Their eyes met for a second. The boy immediately looked elsewhere and hurried taking his seat. Yoshida remained still for a second. She knew him. He was Ike Hayato. Her classmate and close friend had recently confessed his feelings for her (the very same day she and Shana had waited for Yuji's decision). She felt sorry she couldn't give him a straight answer yet and for now she couldn't return his feelings. She was feeling so confused right now! Apparently Ike was showing understanding once more and he was avoiding her to give her space. Perhaps this would be the best for them both. It still saddened her but she had no better choice for now.

Suddenly a single friendly greeting drew her attention; Strange, indeed since there was nothing unusual to that. The greeting was:

"Thank you for your notes, Teiichi-kun!"

Uehara Teiichi was just a classmate, so where was the problem someone thanking him for his notes? Well there would be none if…if Uehara Teiichi wasn't supposed to be in a trip for a baseball match! She turned her head sharply and her eye-pupils dilated in absolute surprise. There, on Uehara Teiichi's desk was sitting a completely different person but not an unknown person to her. It was a boy, a boy that looked younger than she was, perhaps at the age of ten, with chocolate-tanned skin and his body was full of scars. His hair was long and braided in a single, dark brown braid that reached down his back. His eyes were dark reddish-brown and piercing like two pieces of sharp glass that looked the world with the experience of no other person on earth would ever attain. On his back there was a long object covered in white cloth and to his left wrist there was an exotic piece of jewellery. He as dressed in a school uniform but there was no doubt who he was.

"Khamsin-san!" Yoshida Kazumi blurted out

Khamsin Nbh'w was a Flame Haze, and a very strong one that is. He was the person that had changed her life forever, the one who showed her the truth behind the world's mask; the truth about Guze and Torches and Flame Hazes. What was his title again? Oh, yes. He had introduced himself as Mobilizer of Ceremonial Equipment. He also said he was a Tuner (no matter what that thing was).

Hearing his name being called Khamsin (who had his arms crossed over his chest so far) blinked once and looked at her, calmly as always, without showing the tiny bit clue of emotion.

"Aaa" he said in his rich yet childish voice, "You are Kazumi Yoshida-san, right? It is a pleasure to see you once more"

He was always speaking with proper words, typical and clean.

"What…what are you doing here, Khamsin-san?" she asked once more

"We are just doing some research" the Middle-Eastern boy answered commonly

"Research?" Yoshida echoed in disbelief, "Why…Uehara-san's…"

"Aaa, I just used the Existence of the Torch named Uehara Teiichi, taking his place"

"Uehara-san…a Torch…?" Yoshida thought

And right after she said.

"How?"

"Aaa, it is just a common practice for Flame Hazes." Khamsin answered patiently, "We take a sample of the Torch's flame, permeating into its Existence. So in other words, I am Uehara Teiichi in everyone's eyes"

Yoshida was still confused, and a little terrified.

"But…you don't look alike at all…"

"It doesn't matter" the perennial Flame Haze answered, "It is all part of their minds"

"Hm, think of it like this, young lady" his contractor's voice answered through the bracelet, "When a Flame Haze gets into the Existence of a Torch then immediately creates a cloud around him, making others see their previous Torch friend"

"In other words" Khamsin said again, "When I engulfed the Power of Existence of that Torch, everyone believes this is how Uehara Teiichi originally looked like"

As if fate wanted to prove him right a student came in and greeted Khamsin as he passed by:

"Uehara-san, good morning!"

Yoshida Kazumi was at loss of words.

"So that is why Yukari-chan leaves town and no one seems to notice. If they are treated like Torches, when they leave…it is like they never existed…"

"So…" said she once more, "What are you researching on?"

Khamsin looked at her for a second before answering.

"We are searching of a particular Crimson Denizen" said he

"Apparently it was sensed here in Misaki City" his contractor, Behemoth, added

"Since we felt not the presence of Flaming-Haired-Blazing-Eyed Hunter or Chanter of Elegies, we decided to do some research ourselves"

"Hm, besides it was a Denizen we were after for some time now" Behemoth added

Yoshida didn't know what to think of it; whether she should be sad for Uehara's Existence being erased or for the fact that the person who did it was now here, sitting in his desk, commonly talking about it. She had tons of questions to make, but that moment the teacher came in.

* * *

"Sit down everyone" history teacher spoke strictly

Everyone sat down and the teacher started reading their names.

"Kirishiki"

"Here"

"Tanaka"

"Here"

"Kazumi"

"Here" Yoshida said.

And the teacher read more and more names till…

"Uehara"

She instinctively turned to look at Khamsin who hasn't spoken a word to respond.

"Uehara Teiichi-kun" the teacher repeated, glaring towards the desk Khamsin was sitting.

Khamsin barely raised his head and absolutely calmly, solemnly and with the greatest of formality he said.

"Is here"

"Hmm" the teacher mumbled as if he didn't expect such an answer and closed the book with the names, "Alright everyone open your books!"

The lesson seemed to be flowing like every other day. The teacher would explain and the students would put notes down to their notebooks. Occasionally Yoshida would look towards Khamsin with the corner of her eye, without even noticing she was doing it. He looked so different in the black school uniform instead of the orange hooded jumper he usually wore! However the grand object behind his back was making him stand too much, but he didn't seem to care. Khamsin Nbh'w had his eyes straight to the blackboard, without unfolding his arms from his chest, without taking any notes down, without even seem to pay attention to the sayings of the teacher. More likely he seemed like lost in his thoughts…or long memories. For a brief second, perhaps he felt her gaze upon him for he slightly tilted his head towards her, and their eyes met for the briefest moment when:

"Uehara Teiichi-kun!" the teacher said strictly "Why haven't you opened your books yet? And why aren't you taking any notes?"

Yoshida was getting worried, worried of how Khamsin would react to this. Usually, when Shana got scolded by teachers, was causing quite a fuss about it.

"Perhaps" the teacher continued, "you know the subject we're talking about way too well! Could you please, then, explain to us about the floods of the Nile?"

Yoshida was waiting, almost holding her breath.

"Yes, sir" Khamsin said calmly, almost obediently as he rose from his chair and stood strict and still like an actual student would.

And Khamsin started to talk, in a calm voice, as if telling a story he knew way too well.

"Once every year, when Sirius appears in the sky announcing the New Year, the snows on the South mountains would melt, causing the waters of the Nile to overflow from their banks, covering Egypt's land and once they withdraw, after four days, they would leave a layer of black mud behind, the mud that gave Egypt its ancient name. Khemet meant 'Black Land', the land of gods. People would offer the river sacrifices, offerings made of gold and amber, they would pray for Black Land's well being, so the flood wouldn't be either too small or too much, being beneficial and not catastrophic… Praying that god Seth's anger, for that year, would subside"

Everyone was blinking in confusion, as if taken by his narration to another era and time, cause indeed he had narrated this part in such a reassuring voice, as if telling a good bedtime fairy tale instead of historical facts. Yoshida wasn't an exception and neither was the teacher. He remained in his place, blinking a couple of times before finding his voice again he said:

"Er…well done Uehara-kun. You can take your seat"

And Khamsin did so, without saying a single word more.

* * *

The school bell rang announcing the school break. Khamsin suddenly stood from his chair, creaking it in the process (and causing many –if not all- of the students to look at im) and with his previous long tool still attached to his back, he walked out of the room. Yoshida was familiar with this kind of acting. Shana too preferred loneliness and isolation during her first days at school. Perhaps Khamsin wanted that too.

"Hm…it is unusual for you, show that much of emotion, is it not?" Behemoth said in his old voice to his contractor who was standing on the roof.

"Aaa…perhaps" Khamsin agreed solemnly while letting the wind caress his hair

"Why, I wonder?"

"Who knows?" Khamsin said softly, looking at the sky, "Perhaps…I felt a nostalgic feeling inside me…"

"Hm…nostalgia, eh?" Behemoth said

"Perhaps" Khamsin answered enigmatically once more, "But whatever the reason, it is already a long time ago"

"Hm…that's true…"

"Above everything, for the time being I haven't sensed any Denizen yet…everything seems calm so far"

"Hm…indeed it seems that way"

"And also…Kazumi Yoshida-san is also here…"

"Indeed…the map of this city she so kindly gave us was really useful this time"

"Aaa" Khamsin said in approval, "The images, this person, gave to us were clear, warm and full of passion. It was exactly what we needed in order for us to find our way in Misaki City once more"

"Hm…and you are worried about her?" Behemoth was making an observation, in spite that he was forming it as a question.

"Perhaps I am" Khamsin admitted thoughtfully, "We already involved her too much, it would be trouble for the balance of the world if yet another human got lost in this battle with Guze no Tomogara (Crimson Denizens) and so we would need to make yet another Torch"

"Hm" Behemoth murmured but it was unclear whether he fully agreed with his contractor's entire statement or not

Maybe he just didn't wanted to pressure him. For countless of years they had travelled together, having outmost respect for each other, coming to know each other's heart very well so both of them knew when to talk to each other and when to be silent. Behemoth saw this was one of the second cases so he changed the subject.

"Hm…do you believe she can sense us up here?"

"Aaa…it is a possibility but…" Khamsin seemed thoughtful, "But I am not sure she can feel our pulse yet. She is still a human after all, so it might be difficult for her to understand the pulse of the Power of Existence"

"Perhaps…"

No sooner had the Crimson Lord finished his sentence and Yoshida Kazumi appeared walking to the roof. She saw them and smiled.

"You were here, after all" she said

Khamsin seemed genuinely surprised, well as surprised his calm face would look.

"Aaa" he said as an answer, "How did you know we would be here? Did you sense us?"

"Well…" Yoshida blushed, "It is just…Yukari-chan always came here…so…I thought…"

"I see" Khamsin saved her the trouble explaining

"I see" he repeated in his head, "So she found us with pure logic…"

"A-Ano…" she started, getting him look at her

"What is it?" he asked politely

Yoshida didn't know why she had thought about it, but now she had started and there was no going back. She had so many questions to ask. Khamsin jumped airily from the spot he was standing before and came closer.

"You have questions to ask, do you not?" asked as if he read her thoughts, "Ask them away. It is the very least I can do after the help you offered me in the past"

"Come on…say it!" she pressured herself mentally.

"Ano…" she started once more, "You…you said you have been travelling around a lot…recently right?"

"Yes. That is what I said" Khamsin replied

"Th-Then…have you heard anything of…of…S-Sakai-kun…?"

"Hm, that Reiji Maigo Mystes, is it not?" Behemoth said

"Aaa, indeed…Sakai Yuji…" he turned to her and said, "I am sorry but we haven't heard anything of him during our travels."

"I…I see…" she said lowering her head

She had seen that coming. She didn't have many hopes he would answer positively, but no matter how much she was expecting the blow, it was a blow anyway.

"Please do not despair" Khamsin said softly and kindly, "I am sure we soon will have news of him. After all Reiji Maigo is a precious objective for many Denizens"

Khamsin seemed almost…comforting her? The all-powerful, ancient Flame Haze was now comforting her? It was hard to believe. Her lips formed a faint smile. She felt the need to…please him somehow, to thank him properly for his comforting words. It was crazy and she knew it but.

"Ano…" she hesitated, "I was th-thinking…if…you would like to…come…to my home after school for…for lunch or something. I will…I will cook…that's why…"

The Middle-Eastern boy remained to his place, as if taking in the invitation, the first real invitation he had for centuries. After a moment of hesitation he nodded his head.

"Sure" he said, "I would be honoured to test Kazumi Yoshida-san's cooking"

All Yoshida could do right now was to smile.

* * *

Later they found themselves into her house. She knew she would be alone that day, for her parents were out of town for a couple of days for work. Her little brother wouldn't come home either (for he was sleeping over to a friend) so it was nice to have company, she supposed, even if that company was a completely controlled and kind of scary Flame Haze. Right now Khamsin was seated to the table, with his large Hougu right next to him, waiting patiently. The smell of food was inviting indeed. Soon Yoshida arrived with the disc of food.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting" she said

"Not at all" Khamsin replied kindly

"It is still hot so…be care-…"

Khamsin had already taken a piece of fish with his hand and placed it to his mouth, chewing. Yoshida remained looking at him. Feeling her eyes on him once more, Khamsin opened his closed eyes and looked at her.

"Something the matter, Yoshida-san?" he asked

Yoshida snapped out of it.

"N-No" she stammered, "It is just…won't you use the hashi, Khamsin-san?"

"Oh?" Khamsin blinked and looked down to his plate. In front of it, the two small wooden objects were ready to be use.

"Hm…aren't those objects Japanese people use to eat?" Behemoth questioned

"Aaa, indeed…I had forgotten about it" Khamsin seemed as if he was apologizing, "In my country we do not use such things. We preferred to use our hands instead… I never really learnt have learnt how to use them"

Yoshida would feel the need to laugh if she wasn't so surprised. The all-powerful Flame Haze didn't know how to use the Hashi?

"Th-then…fork and knife suit you better?" asked politely

"Well…even if hands are fine to me…" Khamsin said, "…if it is not too much trouble for you…"

"N-Not at all. I'll be right back"

"I apologize for the trouble"

Yoshida left to get to the kitchen to search to the drawers. It felt as if talking to a person of importance…this was how formal Khamsin always was… It felt kind of weird to her but at the same time it had an unusual charm. She shook her head, coming to the conclusion it would be meaningless to analyse it any further, since Flame Hazes were so different than humans, she grabbed a fork and rushed back to join Khamsin.

"I am sorry for the wait" she repeated placing the fork to the table next to him

"Not at all" Khamsin replied once more

Yoshida took her seat right opposite him and clasped her hands together.

"Itadakimasu" she said the normal thanking for the food.

Khamsin, of course, said nothing and food started. Occasionally she would watch him eat. He enjoyed his food but at the same time he was watching his manners. He must have sensed her once more cause he looked up from his plate and fastened his dark eyes on her.

"Something the matter?"

Yoshida realized she was spacing out again.

"N-No…I was just wondering… Khamsin-san said…" she decided to keep the third person out of respect, "that in your country you have other habits so…I was wondering…what country is that…?"

Khamsin's hands stopped moving and looked at his plate as if noticing it just now. Yoshida found out it was impossible to read him and his reaction. She wasn't sure if she had displeased him with her question.

"N-No…you…don't have to…answer that…" she said to cover that

Idiot! She scolded herself, idiot! Making questions like that.

"Egypt…" Khamsin's voice dragged her back to reality

"Eh?" she asked

"Long time ago…my country was Egypt…"

Egypt… That would explain why he had spoken with so much passion about it before but how was it possible to speak like that? It was as if he knew his country from another era… Well that WAS possible since he was a Flame Haze but…how long exactly has it been since the last time he had been there?

"E-Excuse me the…rude question…but…how old are you…exactly…?"

Khamsin looked at her. It was the first time someone asked for his age. Most Flame Hazes already had heard of him and knew he had travelled for thousands of years so no one ever had asked him. Sometimes he forgot about it himself.

"Aaa…" he mumbled placing his empty plate down, "How long has it been, Behemoth? Was it not been around 3000 years ago?"

"Hm…indeed that was it"

Yoshida's eyes opened as wide as it could be.

"Th-Three thousand?!" she exclaimed a little louder than she expected.

The person before her didn't look above ten years of age. She knew he was old as a Flame Haze but…THIS exceeded her expectation…far too much.

"Aaa" he confirmed, "Flame Hazes do not age so…it is the only natural show on the outside the age they had once they made their contract. In my case that was more or less 3000 years ago"

'Their contract'…there was the word again. There were so many questions she had to ask! About the contract or what it meant to be a Flame Haze and so many others but she believed she had already asked too much and that it would be rude if she proceeded. Therefore she only said:

"I see. Sounds like a long life, huh?"

"It is" Khamsin said calmly as though they were talking about someone else, "However I had Behemoth. We travelled together for so many years. We have seen and learnt so many things in our travels…"

And he fell silent. After a couple of seconds Yoshida couldn't bare this silence.

"Ano…Khamsin-san…what do you think if…if I taught you how to use the hashi?"

Khamsin blinked in surprise but he was a person who always learnt so he nodded his head.

"Sure…I…I would be grateful"

Yoshida wasn't sure if he absolutely meant it or not but she smiled anyway and nodded. She showed them to him and how to hold them and he was following her instructions step by step. However once he was about to hold something in his plate with them it slipped from his clumsy grasp.

"Oh…" he barely got out a small sound of surprise at his failed attempt and tried again but with the same result.

This time Yoshida giggled softly, with her hand hiding her mouth and continued showing him. Time passed before they knew it.

* * *

"Hm…why have you accepted her invitation, I wonder" Behemoth asked as the two of them were walking down the park street.

It was night already but Khamsin didn't need as much rest as humans did. Besides he liked the loneliness of the night. The moon was bright that night, painting everything in silver.

"Who knows…?" he answered truthfully to his contractor's question

A light breeze was blowing, making his dark, brown braid, slightly move in the night…

"It is also unusual for you to open up like this to anyone. I am not complaining about it though…" Behemoth also pointed out

Khamsin listened to his old partner and respectful contractor without speaking for a second. He raised his eyes to the moon as if lost in his thoughts and memories once more. He then lowered his gaze and looked over his shoulder towards the direction Yoshida's house was supposed to be even if it was out of his range by now. A rare, faint smile appeared to his lips.

"Perhaps…it is a nice change to relax once in a while…" he answered enigmatically

He then turned around once more, placed his hands in the pockets and continued walking in the night…

* * *

 **Okay I had promised to QiaKing and Symmetrical-neko (two friends from Deviantart) a Yoshida x Khamsin story.**  
 **I wasn't planning on posting it now but I had a sudden inspiration so...here comes nothing**

 **"Uehara" is indeed a name that appears to Shakugan no Shana wikia and I used it here. The fact of him being a Torch is my idea to work for the plot. Plus I chose the name "Teiichi" for him (inspired by Tasogare Otome x Amnesia)**

 **I hope you liked it. Should I continue or should I leave it this way? Your choice**


	2. Chapter 2

The next day came pretty fast and Kazumi Yoshida found herself on her way for school when the school bell rang. Once more she had been through the usual routine; at the entrance she spotted Ike but found herself unable to say anything more to him than a typical good morning greeting and he did the same. She walked in the school's main building, holding to her chest, closely a bento package. She had spent a great part of last night to make it. She went to the entrance and removed her shoes, putting the indoor shoes instead. As she walked down the corridor she seemed deeply in thought.

"What a strange person…Khamsin-san is…" she thought.

She could remember the look in his dark eyes the day before, when he was speaking about his country in front of the whole class, as if passion about it was overflowing his dark orbs, despite his stoic face. She couldn't read him back then but she could tell one thing for sure; he loved his country and he loved its history. Who was she kidding? He WAS part of its history after all!

"It must have been hard for him…to live for so long…travel for so long…Margery-san too…Shana-chan too…but Khamsin-san seems so…different than them both…"

She suddenly realized she had never asked a single thing about how Flame Hazes dealt with their lives…she didn't know what a Flame Haze truly was. She didn't know how a Flame Haze came to life…how they made their so-called contract with their Crimson Lord. And she realized something else; that she knew almost nothing of Khamsin Nbh'w. She only knew he was a Flame Haze, a very old and a very powerful one and only recently she found out that he was from Egypt and that he lived at least 3000 years in total.

"I wonder…what lifetime did he have…? How did he get the power and knowledge he got…?"

In her mind flashed his stoic face, his dark scarred skin…

"I wonder…how did he get all those scars? Was it from a battle? Shana-chan too suffered many wounds in battles, Margery-san too however neither them nor Carmel-san ever got scars… Then why…? Why is Khamsin-san's body…?"

She knew that the only way to get answers to those questions was to ask Khamsin himself but how could she? How could she simply talk to him about this? One thing was for sure.

"Khamsin-san…has been through a lot…even if he doesn't talk about it…"

She had thought about it since the night before, when during lunch she saw another side of Khamsin Nbh'w. Barely, but it was still there nevertheless. He was an all-powerful Flame Haze that lived for thousands of years, and still the noon before Yoshida only saw a boy enjoying his food, enjoying the company of another person, even if he held a stoic face and the mannerisms of an aged man, Khamsin was still a boy who was learning new things, a boy who was now learning how to eat with the Japanese hashi… Yoshida wasn't sure what to think of him anymore however something on him, something mysterious, was drawing her to him…

"It is the same thing all over again…the chasm between me and THAT side is way too big…" she thought as her hand clenched onto the bento box

* * *

As she entered the class most of her classmates were already in, talking about various things. Matake Ogata greeted her with her usual smile.

"Oi, Kazumi! Good morning!"

"Oga-chan!" she said softly in return

"Finally you came! I was afraid you wouldn't show up!"

"Wh-What are you talking about, Oga-chan?" Yoshida smiled nervously, "Class hasn't even started yet"

"I know but quite a few people of the class seem to be absent today"

"They do?" Yoshida blinked in confusion

"Yes" Ogata confirmed, "Tanaka too is absent today due to a light cold, Kirishiki too and even Uehara seems absent today!"

Uehara Teiichi…indeed that was the name… Yoshida turned towards the desk Khamsin Nbh'w was sitting the day before. It was empty.

"So…Khamsin-san isn't here yet…" she thought and subconsciously hugged the bento box tighter to her chest.

It wasn't unusual to her a Flame Haze to be absent from class. Even Shana often skipped class from time to time, first because she never considered school as something important to her or because some fight was up. At this she gasped. What if Khamsin got into a fight with a Denizen? What if he was fighting right now? But she hadn't felt the pulse of a Fuzetsu into the jewel he had given her before skipping town the previous time. Subconsciously she held onto it as if to convince herself that it was still there.

"Something the matter, Kazumi?" Ogata tilted her head to the side.

"Mmmn" Yoshida shook her head negatively, coming back to reality, "It's nothing"

"It's alright" she thought to herself, "It is definitely alright. Even if he's fighting right now, Khamsin-san is strong…really strong. It sure's going to be alright…"

The teacher got in just in time.

"Take a seat, class" he said

Everyone did so.

* * *

Class was now in process like usually, nothing out of the ordinary was there to change the usual routine; the teacher was writing something on the board and the students were taking notes. However Kazumi Yoshida often looked over her shoulder where Khamsin's desk was.

"Khamsin-san hasn't come yet" she thought

It was a strange feeling how empty the classroom seemed without him. He barely sat one day to that desk and she had grown so accustomed to his presence that she already missed it in this class? Time had moved and it was almost time for the lunch break.

"From all days…he got absent today…?" she thought clenching the edge of the bag containing her bento box

She barely finished her thought when the door was dragged open and the Middle Eastern boy with the large clothed metal object to his back entered the classroom with the hands in his pockets. All students (Yoshida included) turned around to see him, his stoic face, his sharp and dark eyes. The teacher immediately stopped writing on the blackboard and turned to see him.

"Uehara Teiichi-kun, you were awfully late"

"Aaa" Khamsin said almost apologetically, "I am terribly sorry, I was caught up in something on my way here. I sincerely apologize"

Yoshida was gazing at him. His face was stoic and showed no emotion however his words were always so typical, so polite that he would be able to disarm anyone, even the angriest people. The sweetness of his childish features was coming to complete antithesis with his lordly aura.

"Well…" the teacher said, "You're here now so I guess it's alright. Please go to your seat"

Khamsin bowed his head in respect and immediately went to his seat and sat down, placing the huge pipe-like piece of metal to the seat next to him.

* * *

The bell told the students what they were hoping for; it was lunchtime. Many students headed towards the cafeteria to buy something to eat or drink. Some others headed for the schoolyard to open their bento boxes and eat outside under the autumn sun. However there weren't few those students who chose to remain within the classroom to have lunch to their desks while laughing together.

It was about time and Yoshida placed her bento box onto her desk, unwrapped the paper around it and opened the top of it. The box contained at least ten small bowls that contained a white rice pudding and powdered with cinnamon.

"Whoa!" her close friends exclaimed looking at it

"As I expected from Kazumi!" Ogata commented

Yoshida smiled. They complimented her the other time she had brought them pudding or when she cooked for them but every time she felt as though she was someone important by doing so. She never felt easy with too much attention but she always enjoyed making her friends happy.

"But…what is it, Yoshida?" Ike also asked, surpassing his tiny embarrassment

Yoshida blushed slightly and smiled.

"It is Roz bill-Laban" she replied softly, "It is…a type of Egyptian dessert. I found the recipe on the Internet and I decided to give it a try"

As long as she was explaining she had already started distributing the small plastic bowls to her friends, who immediately grabbed the spoons and dug in.

"Amazing!" Ogata exclaimed mouth-full

"Yoshida-san you are indeed amazing!" Ike complimented with a blush

Yoshida blushed too at her friend's comments.

"N-Not at all…I was just…i-interested in it…I also had some spare rice and milk at home so…I gave it a try…"

Khamsin wasn't with them. He was sitting to his desk with his arms folded to his chest and he seemed lost in his thoughts.

"Khamsin-san…"

The soft voice drew him out of them. He knew who it was not only by the sound of the voice but also by the fact she had called him by his real name. Yoshida was standing above him holding one small bowl of pudding and a small spoon.

"A-Ano…please…have one…" she said blushing

Khamsin blinked once. He never expected to be given something like that in the middle of the day.

"Aaa…thank you" he said taking the bowl as if not sure what to say

He took the spoon and took a small spoonful of the dessert. He slowly guided it to his mouth. Immediately, when he took this first taste, his eyes slightly opened in surprise. Yoshida wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

"W-Well…? H-How is it…?" she asked politely but also eagerly

"It is good…" Khamsin whispered

To her great surprise she realized what his whisper hid; pleasant surprise and…joy. It was as if he couldn't believe what he had just tasted. This lifted Yoshida's spirits up.

"R-Really?" she asked hopefully

"I have not tasted this dessert…for years…" he whispered and took another spoonful of it

Yoshida smiled. She didn't know why but she simply wanted to see him enjoy it by now. Someone said something to her and she turned her head to answer. In the meantime Khamsin rose from his seat and taking the half-finished pudding with him, he left the noise of the classroom. Kazumi, once he heard the sound of his chair she turned around but he had already left…

* * *

Up to the peace and quiet of the roof, Khamsin took another spoonful of the white pudding and ate it slowly but at the same time with concealed and subconscious enthusiasm, his face was stoic but his heart was softly flattering in his chest with the feeling of nostalgia.

"Hm…you seem to enjoy this, don't you?" his Contractor pointed out

"Aaa" the perennial Flame Haze confirmed, "I hadn't tasted Roz bill-Laban for centuries. Yoshida Kazumi-san did great job re-creating the taste"

He had barely visited his country for centuries but it was indeed a long time since the last time he had tasted the particular creamy dessert and he had missed it without even realizing it. The tiny bowl was almost empty already. The soft breeze made him look up.

"Hm…the young lady seems to be doing everything she can to make you feel more comfortable into this city" Behemoth pointed out

Khamsin remained silent for a little, not answering to his contractor right away. He looked away in Misaki City and then into his empty, plastic bowl.

"Aaa" he finally said, "It appears so but I cannot bring myself understand the reason behind her kindness with us."

His contractor silently agreed to that statement.

"Perhaps" Khamsin continued his thought, "it was because of the news we brought her"

"Hm…indeed heralds of good news often get special treatment and kindness, however what concerns me is that the news we brought to young Miss wasn't what she probably expected, since be brought no information considering the Reiji Maigo Mystess, Sakai Yuji"

"Aaa" the Middle Eastern Flame Haze said, "It can be that her kind nature comes out normally. There is no other explanation"

"Indeed" Behemoth said, "But to get through the trouble to search deeply and make a dessert she guessed you would enjoy, something from your hometown and something which, by some enormous coincidence, you particularly favoured…"

Khamsin looked once more at the remains of his pudding within the plastic bowl. He couldn't find a particular answer or an explanation for his contractor's not at all untruthful statement. It was indeed a move that touched his heart even if he would never surface his thoughts with words. As a Flame Haze he had experienced respect and fear, sometimes admiration and sometimes envy but he had never experienced kindness…at least not to that extent. It wasn't just the pudding that was delicious, it was also the very thought of it that touched his so-thought stone heart. He gathered the last drops of it with his index finger and licked it. He threw the plastic container into a trash bin (even if he was away of it) and straightened himself.

"Well we should be going, are we not?" he said softly

"Hm indeed. In the end we need the seals in order to perform our Wide Range Scan"

"Aaa" Khamsin agreed, "Chanter of Elegies could use some strong searching spell but I guess we should use the old method with the seals in order to mark the area"

"Luckily, young Miss gave us a very detailed image of this town"

"Well…let us go, shall we?"

And with that Khamsin leaped off the school roof and airily started hopping from building to building with the hands in the pockets and the large Hogu always attached to his back. And so the old Flame Haze with the childish appearance landed safely to a small street. He scanned the place with his eyes.

"Aaa it appears no one is here, does it not?" he said to his contractor while unhanging the large metal object from his back and bringing it before him

"Hm it looks like the perfect spot to place the first seal. We better be careful of the amount of Power of Existence we use here so they won't guess we're here"

"Aaa" his contractor agreed, "Let us hope this is going to be enough, though"

The white cloth slowly fell off revealing the metallic tube beneath. Khamsin raised it up with both hands.

"Unrestricted Spell: Wide Range Search" Behemoth chanted

"Activate" Khamsin echoed

"Sirius's Light Activate"

"Synchronization"

And with that last chant Khamsin thrust the tube down. The tube released a metal sound like bell when it came in contact with the ground and the blue seal got released from its base…

* * *

By the evening Yoshida Kazumi exited school grounds and started heading towards the bridge. For some reason, she wanted to have a walk this evening. Because it was winter, it had turned dark already and kind of cold. As she walked down the path she remembered;

"This was where we walked with Khamsin-san in the past…while he was talking to me about…his world; Torches and Denizens…and everything…"

She suddenly realized how important Khamsin had grown to become in her life. He was the one who opened her eyes and showed her the truth of this world. Sure, in the beginning it was a shock for her but still if it weren't of him, she would still be an ignorant girl who lived her life like nothing happened, completely unaware of what dangerous things her friends were being through. It was he the one who helped her understand, the one who gave her courage to admit her feelings…

She was deep in her thoughts when she realized the boy walking towards her with his hands in his pockets. Indeed Khamsin Nbh'w looked so different without his orange hooded jumper on. The black school uniform looked good on him too. The old Flame Haze stopped in his tracks when he spotted her and she did the same.

"Khamsin-san" she exclaimed

"Yoshida Kazumi-san" he said politely, "It is a fine night is it not?"

"It is" she nodded, "You didn't return to school…"

It was a remark, not a question.

"Aaa" he replied, "We had one or two things we needed to take care of"

"We placed a wide-range searching spell to the city" Behemoth explained

"It might not be as direct as the Unrestricted Method Chanter of Elegies uses but it has a more steady base and it will remain active. If the Crimson Denizen we seek passes from the area, we will be notified" Khamsin added

"I see" she said shyly

His dark eyes were looking at her and she was feeling as if they were staring into her soul.

"Aaa also I wanted to properly thank you for the excellent treat you offered today. The balance of taste and sweetness seemed perfect. It really felt of home… I am grateful to your kindness…"

Yoshida felt her cheeks burn with a light blush. This was undoubtedly one absolute compliment from him and his words seemed so genuine…so…

"Y-You're welcome…it was nothing…really…I mean…I only wanted to make you something…that perhaps would remind of the past…" she stammered

"I am grateful to you. Of course rice did not exist in my country in the era I lived in however occasionally I visited there and had the chance to taste the particular dessert there a few times"

"Hm…my contractor particularly favoured the specific type of sweet. Of course there was no way you, young Miss, to know it but I think we both are grateful for this"

"Behemoth" Khamsin said softly (his face was stoic but if someone added some emotion to the scene it would look as if Khamsin was "scolding" his contractor)

"Hm" was Behemoth's only answer

Yoshida couldn't believe in her ears. Embarrassed? The great Flame Haze that lived more than 3000 years was embarrassed?! Even if his face was showing no emotion perhaps he wasn't planning revealing that small detail to her, but this was double as complimenting to her.

"In any case" Khamsin continued, "We feel the need to repay your kindness, since Yoshida Kazumi-san was also as kind as to make us lunch the other time, I feel that I must repay this as well so, tell me if you would like something to eat tonight and I could buy you dinner. Anything would do"

Yoshida blushed once more.

"N-No…please you don't need to spend money for this…"

However Khamsin insisted.

"Please, Yoshida Kazumi-san. It is not trouble, I can assure you for that. You were very kind to us during the past days and it is the very least we could do"

"Hm" Behemoth's voice was once more heard from the piece of jewellery, "As my contractor says, kindness should always be returned. If you wouldn't accept our invitation we would be sad, little Miss"

Khamsin nodded his brunette head.

"Aaa…unfortunately, due to our constant travels I am not very good with cooking, however, I would be more than glad to offer you dinner in return of your delicious treat. So, please, name anything you wish. Anything would do"

Yoshida smiled at his formality and his kindness. She truly simply enjoyed his company and his willingness was disarming.

"Then…some warm noodles would be nice for tonight…if it is not too much trouble"

"Aaa indeed the night seems perfect for that is it not?"

"Hm, indeed it is cold tonight"

"Aaa, then noodles it is. I sincerely thank you Yoshida Kazumi-san, for accepting my invitation"

Yoshida was taken aback. Why was HE thanking HER? However once more she couldn't bring herself do anything else but nod her head.

* * *

Soon Kazumi Yoshida found herself seated in a bench waiting while Khamsin was off to a cantina, giving the orders of the food. He soon came to join her, holding two steaming bowls in his hands. The one contained the noodles she had asked and the other some thick and warm miso soup. He offered her, her bowl.

"Thank you" she said accepting it.

He sat beside her too, sitting at the back of the bench so his head would be a little higher than hers. He raised the bowl to his lips and drank a small sip of it. Yoshida realized that everything on him seemed harmonic; his hands, his lips and face…even the scars here and there seemed harmonic to his features. She shook her head to stop more confusing thoughts creep into her mind and broke the two hashi and started to eat, occasionally blow at her noodles before eating, to cool them a little. They ate in silence for a couple of seconds, only hearing the chatting the children still playing there, were making. Finally Yoshida felt this silence choking her.

"Ano ne…Khamsin-san…"

Khamsin raised his head from his soup and looked at her.

"Yes, Yoshida-san?"

"I was wondering…." She hesitated

Come on! Say it! She said to herself

"I was wondering…what a Flame Haze truly is…how they become what they are…"

Khamsin looked at her. It was really a direct question and such a question needed a direct answer.

"Aaa…it is a sad matter to discuss indeed…" he said, "As you probably have noticed already, Flame Hazes were once humans…"

"H-Humans?" she was only half-shocked. Somehow it felt as if she indeed knew the answer all along.

Khamsin nodded.

"Yes. Flame Hazes start their lives as humans no matter what their case is. A Flame Haze usually is created after a tragedy, a tragedy involving a Crimson Denizen"

"A…tragedy…?" she realized she found it difficult to breathe, as if some hand was choking her

"Hm…usually this tragedy involves danger for the human's life as well and in the verge of death, the Crimson Lord makes the first contact with the human" Behemoth added

"Aaa, once the human gets to hear the voice of a Crimson Lord for the first time, they have to make a decision; they give up their life as humans in order to make the contract with the Crimson Lord and become the vessel for their Flame. If they come to an agreement, the Flame Haze is born. The Flame Haze gains the Flame of a Crimson Lord and their bodies now host this specific Crimson Lord. A Flame Haze somehow makes an oath that day, that they will live a life of battle against Crimson Denizens that threaten the balance of the world"

"Hm…and by that moment and all the years that are to come, the new Flame Haze and the contractor continue their endless trip" Behemoth said once more

"The Flame Haze's time is frozen to the day they got the contract, in other words remain ageless no matter what the circumstances. The Crimson Lord carries a Name along with it, a title, if you prefer, which the Flame Haze has to carry from that day on"

Yoshida was frozen to her place, listening to Khamsin's narrating (and not to mention calming) voice. He was narrating things as if he was just an observer, as if he had never experienced anything himself.

"The contract is absolute" Khamsin continued, "and it cannot be broken. There are two ways of the contract to stop being active. The first is the Vessel, in other words the Flame Haze, be killed in battle, the other is if both contractors decide the contract should be broken and the Flame Haze releases the Crimson Lord. In either case, however, the Vessel dies…"

Yoshida clenched her school uniform's shirt to the spot over her heart.

"But…then…a Flame Haze experiences a horrible tragedy…their life get in danger…and in order to continue to live, they have to be engulfed in an eternity of battle…this is just…"

She couldn't continue. It felt so cruel to her…

"Aaa" Khamsin said not absolutely clear if he was concerned about his very situation or not, "Of course there is an exception to this; the Flaming-Haired-Blazing-Eyed Hunter, Flame Haze to the Flame of Heavens chose her path on her own, without experiencing a life-and-death situation. You may say she was raised for it"

Yoshida's fist clenched without her knowing it. So Shana never experienced such a tragedy. Sure, she was consumed by a world of endless battle however at least she and Alastor had come to an agreement at their free will and free will only. However that brought her to another thought; if Shana was the only exception among Flame Hazes…then that meant…Khamsin too….

"Ano…Khamsin-san…" she hesitated once more, "If that's true…then you too have been…"

Words were nearly chocked in her throat again but she narrowed her eyes in determination.

"What happened to you back then, Khamsin-san? You too experienced something, did you not? Something happened, right?"

Momentarily Khamsin half-gasped at this question. Images flashed through his perennial mind, images that would never leave him no matter what; he saw eyes looking at him hatefully, a dark room illuminated only by the pale moonlight, he saw battle and blood…pain… The girl's voice showed true concern, showed true interest without the pure curiosity someone would have just to barge into things that weren't their business. Yoshida Kazumi was showing real interest, however…

His eyes were shadowed as he kept his gaze into his empty plate. Even his contractor was completely silent now, making Yoshida's heart tremor into her chest.

"My story…" he finally said in a low voice, "is something terrible…I wouldn't want to scare Yoshida Kazumi-san"

So something horrible DID happen after all. She was about to protest but he spoke again.

"No" he said softly, "I already involved you into our world and showed you the Truth, a Truth most humans wouldn't be strong enough to bear. You have done already more that anyone could never ask for. However there are still truths that must not be told, that better remain unspoken. I cannot drag you into our worries any further than I already did. It would be better for you if you did not know"

His refusal was kind, gentle, formal and calm but it was absolute and Yoshida could see it. He wouldn't open up to her any further for his own reasons. She felt like a fool for even asking about it now. He had given her so many interesting information and she still insisted making a indiscreet question like that! She mentally cursed herself.

"I…I see…" she said touching the small, red amulet around her neck

Khamsin saw it too. His eyes immediately fixed upon it.

"You still have it, do you not?" he asked softly

Yoshida turned to him and touched the amulet once more, the amulet he had given her as a gift.

"Yes, I do" she said softly, "Khamsin-san gave it to me…it is something precious to me…" and she fixed her eyes on her lap

Khamsin was also looking at her.

"I see" he finally said

* * *

It was dark now, night already. Khamsin Nbh'w was, once more, enjoying the peace and quiet of Misaki City at night. The cold air was refreshing. His hands were in his pockets as usually, his Hogu on his back. His contractor broke the silence.

"Hm…what a considerate young lady she is, isn't it?"

Khamsin didn't answer immediately. Somehow his mind was running back to that moment when she surpassed her shyness and so bravely and openly asked him for his past, however most importantly he was now remembering the way the jewel he had given her, hanged around her neck. She had kept it after all. Not only that, but she was wearing it around her neck all this time. She had called it precious. His hand softly touched the spot where his heart was.

"I am happy" he whispered

"Hm?" his contractor asked

"When Yoshida Kazumi-san held onto the jewel I felt something in my chest. Is it not happiness?" he half-smiled at this as if being self-sarcastic, "I wonder why though. I felt this tiny bit of feeling because of such a simple gesture. I wonder why…"

"Hm…the gesture was very kind and considerate indeed, and feelings are things even Flame Hazes, no, even Crimson Denizens and powerful Crimson Lords have… No one will ever accuse you for having them, Khamsin Nbh'w…"

"Aaa…perhaps…" Khamsin said

A few dozens of feet away from them, close to the park's lake, was a young couple. The man had the woman in his arms and he had his lips onto hers. Khamsin stopped walking for a second and remained there watching them from afar.

"By the way, Behemoth" he said softly, "I wonder why humans like to do this. During the travels we did for thousands of years we saw this act of affection but I never truly understood the true meaning behind it"

"Hm…who knows indeed… The meaning differs from human to human after all. However as a general idea it could mean that it is a type of greeting"

"A greeting…?" the perennial Flame Haze whispered

His memories were triggered once more, as he remembered a very familiar, lordly figure, dressed in fine linen and kissing like this a young woman with tanned skin and shiny black hair. The kiss and embrace were passionate as if both of them wanted to become one and the same body.

"Aaa…maybe that is the case…" he whispered

He closed his eyes and his lips' edges slightly rose in a small smile.

"…maybe that is the case…"

* * *

 **Hello everyone. Like I promised to** _Qiana King_ **here is my surprise; the second chapter of this story!**  
 **I hope you guys like it.**  
 **Here we see another boring chapter I suppose but I couldn't help it. Yoshida wanted to please Khamsin so she made a dessert**  
 **eaten in Egypt. She did a good job don't you think?**

 _ **Roz bil-Laban**_ **is a kind of rice pudding that requires also rose-water to be made. Of course it is not an ancient recipie (since rice arrived to Egypt no sooner than the Arabs' time but still it is a very beloved kind of dessert in Egypt especially to children. Yes somehow I wanted to remind to my readers that Khamsin Nbh'w might be a very strong and old Flame Haze but he still hides a 10-year-old child inside him that still didn't have time to grow up and live his childhood.**

 **Khamsin gave Yoshida some information of how Flame Hazes are born. I am re-watching the series and I realized that no one ever explained to Yoshida how a Flame Haze gets to be born so I thought there would be no one better to explain her that but Khamsin himself To keep it IC, I made Yoshida still not realizing the feelings she has for Khamsin, since even till the end of Season III of the anime she was thinking of Sakai Yuji but as you see...some feelings creep inside her**  
 **Also Khamsin has come to realize his feelings for her...slowly and steadily even if he doesn't speak about it openly.**

 **I found it outrageous that neither in Season II nor Season III anyone showed Yoshida's necklace, the one Khamsin gave her, and they always showed the cross-like Hogu (Giralda) Pheles gave her. So here it is, a reminder that she has it still**  
 **I hoped you liked it!**  
 **Also as you can see the story title's meaning has started to become clearer right? The reason I chose the title _"A Greeting"_ for it. Soon it will become clearer, as well as Khamsin's flash-memories.**  
 **(Of course Khamsin knows what kiss and what love is, he proved it to Season III after all, however I think everyone would ask what is the TRUE meaning behind a kiss cause like Behemoth says "it differs from human to human")**

 **Also heads up** S _ymmetrical-Neko_ **cause I am through with this fanfic I will start preparing her own surprise as well.**


	3. Chapter 3

It was night in Misaki City and everything seemed calm to those small, narrow alleys of that part. Everything seemed to be dressed in navy blue. The sky above was clear, even if moonless and starless, but the pure, royal blue was covering everything, reflecting a calm atmosphere even in this part of downtown. Everything seemed calm till…a person passed by, at lightning's speed and soon was pursued by another figure. The first one looked definitely human, while the other appeared like a monster with many arms. The monster seemed to be pursuing a young boy dressed in orange, hooded jumper, black pants and that was carrying a large pillar-like object, wrapped in white cloth.

"Aah" Khamsin Nbh'w said while running, "It appears our pursuer will not stop chasing after us, is it not?"

"Hm" the voice of his old contractor answered through the exotic piece of jewellery around the Flame Haze's wrist, "Indeed, from the appearance of it, it is not strong enough but not harmless either…"

Khamsin gazed over his shoulder while running and leaped high in the air, waving his large pillar. A small thread of brown light was on the edge of it like the threads of a puppeteer end up to the doll. The small thread magnetized one piece of stone lieing onto the ground. With a strong snap of the pillar the stone was sent flying upon the monster, breaking to thousands of pieces when the monster placed the two arms, crossed in front of its face to stop the attack. Right away it fought back shooting a ball of dull, purple light.

Khamsin calmly and casually did a turn in midair and landed back to his feet hiding behind a wall deeply in the alley.

"Aah" he said holding the large Hogu right in front of him, gazing over his shoulder so he would be ready for a new charge, "From the looks of it, it is nothing more but a Rinne is it not?"

"Hm, yes that is what it looks like, but the strength of this Rinne is enough to make Sirius' Light to react. It seems like its Master is quite nourished"

"Aah, indeed" his old Flame Haze contractor agreed

He changed his position a little, his clothes softly rattle with the movements.

"In any case" he started, "I think it is about time for us to get serious here, right?"

"Hm" Steadfast Sharp Peak agreed, "Indeed, I think it is the right time, Khamsin Nbh'w"

With a determined, yet absolutely controlled move Khamsin dashed out of his hiding spot and stood right before the bluish, multi-legged creature, which stopped to its tracks right away as if not expecting Khamsin's comeback. Khamsin raised his arm to the air, with his pointing finger directed towards the bluish, night sky above, as his dark, wine-coloured eyes were fastened upon the creature calmly as if reading his opponent's every single move with his piercing gaze.

And right away without a second of delay, the old, more than 3000-year-old Flame Haze, halted his every move, absolutely controlling both himself and his flame that was slowly burning inside him ever since he made the contract with Steadfast of Sharp Peak, Behemoth.

"Fuzetsu"

* * *

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The school bell rang melodically for one more time, signalling the start of a new day for the students of this specific High School. Yoshida Kazumi was in her class, dressed in her school uniform and staring out of the window when that happened. She seemed absent-minded as if the schoolyard had mysteriously changed the night before and now she couldn't lift her gaze from it that easily, she could hardly feel the sounds around her, or the warm rays of winter sun over her body through the glass of the window. She was suddenly drawn out of her thoughts when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She turned to see who it was.

"Yo!" a smiley, tall and athletic guy said smiling with his slit eyes at her

"Tanaka-san!" she exclaimed, "you have recovered?"

"Yup" Tanaka said smiling, "It was a mild cold. Some rest and good food and I am back to normal!"

"I am so glad to hear that" Yoshida said with a gentle smile, honestly

"What about you?" Tanaka asked, "You seem absent-minded"

"Ah, yeah…" she admitted, "I was kinda…thinking about something"

"I see" Tanaka Eita said

He then looked around with his hands in his pockets like he usually did, checking the students out.

"Hmm" he hummed in deep thought, "Apparently Uehara Teiichi-kun is absent today"

Suddenly Yoshida realized that THIS was what was bothering her; the fact that Khamsin Nbh'w hadn't come to school yet.

"Maybe…he'll skip classes today…" she thought feeling a slight pinch of disappointment in her heart.

Slowly, but not less shockingly, she realized how important had grown Khamsin for her everyday life with barely a few days of staying to the same school with her, live in the same environment with her, experience the same things with her. Of course Yoshida knew that sooner or later Khamsin would leave to continue his trips but for some reason, the thought was pressing her heart like lead.

"Why?" she thought, "Why am I feeling this way?"

Idiot! She scolded herself, idiot! Idiot! He is a Flame Haze, he is supposed to be drifting from place to place in order to slay Crimson Denizens, however for some reason the thought was sad, the feeling unpleasant and her body numb.

"I barely know him" she thought, "but in such short amount of time he has grown become a part of my life… I wonder why and I wonder where it started"

Khamsin Nbh'w was very kind to her and that was for sure however when had the old Flame Haze also started to get this way with her? It felt strange and yet right; it felt strange to have his piercing eyes fastened upon her yet so gently but it also felt right for her to talk to him, share her thoughts with him… It felt strange to feel like drifting to another era every time she heard his deep and still childish voice clear like crystal but yet it felt so right talking to him just to make him use that very voice…

It felt strange yet right to have him there with her…

* * *

It was late in the evening when Yoshida Kazumi pressed her finger into the button of the doorbell. Before here was a usual, two stored house, very neat and hospitable-looking. No sooner had she rung the doorbell and the door opened to reveal a young woman. She looked around 40, maybe 45 with long, black hair tied in a discreet ponytail. She was dressed in a long dress, shocks and she was wearing white slippers to her feet.

"Ehm…excuse me, is Khamsin-sa-…No, I mean…Uehara Teiichi-kun inside?" she asked with a polite smile, correcting herself.

Miss Uehara smiled softly to the chestnut-haired girl.

"Yes, indeed. But who are you, pretty young lady and what do you want with my son?" the woman asked with a bright, kind smile to her face

"Ah, I am a classmate" Yoshida answered, "Uehara Teiichi-kun was absent from school today so…I…ehm…I brought some notes for him to take a look at"

"Ah, what a kind young lady!" Miss Uehara said, "Please come in"

She stepped aside and let Yoshida in.

"Sorry for the intrusion" Yoshida whispered the typical words as she was removing her shoes at the entrance. She stepped inside.

She removed her brown jacket as she remained with her pink zhivago blouse. She looked around for a second to the clean house.

"Ano…so, where is Uehars Teiichi-kun?" she asked nervously

"Right upstairs dear"

Yoshida nodded in a thanking way and started climbing up the stairway of the hall to go to the second floor. As she was walking inside the unfamiliar house she was feeling all the more idiot than before. How did she actually come uninvited with this lame excuse just to confirm Khamsin would be there and alright? This wasn't like her at all, she thought.

Her heart was hammering against her ribcage as she was thinking perhaps it wouldn't be too late for her to turn back when she found herself right next to a door to her right. The door had the word "TEIICHI" written in clear letters. There was no backing down now. She drew a deep breath and opened the door…

* * *

…To find herself facing Khamsin's naked and scarred back. The Middle-Eastern boy turned around to face her. Apparently he had just gone out from the shower cause he was only wearing a white towel around his waist and with another one he was wiping his dark hair. He blinked a couple of times, clearly not expecting to see her there.

"Yoshida Kazumi-san…" he said

Yoshida felt her face burn in embarrassment.

"I-I'm sorry…I mean…I am so sorry…I didn't know…"

Khamsin's skin was the clear colour of milk chocolate and his body was lean and smooth. However even the torso and his back were covered in small, unhealed scars. Yoshida couldn't help herself staring them. Where had he gotten those scars from? Why he? And then another thought came to her mind; Why on EARTH am I in here yet?!

By the moment she was ready to apologize and leave the room, to give him space to get dressed again, the door opened and Uehara Teiichi's mother came in.

"Teiichi-kun. I brought some tea and cookies to snack while you study with Yoshida-chan. I'm leaving the disc here on the bed"

Khamsin was looking at her with his beautiful eyes.

"Okay" he whispered, "Thank you…"

and then he added in a drifting whisper

"…Okaa-san…"

The word seemed nostalgic coming from his lips, Yoshida could tell as much, however she also knew it was part of his role. He was supposed to be Uehara Teiichi so it was expected from him to address his mother as such. The two children were left alone. Khamsin didn't seem at all perturbed or bother by his lack of clothing. A moment of awkward silence passed between them. Khamsin was the first to break it.

"Yoshida Kazumi-san" he started, "How come and you came here to visit us?"

"Hm" Behemoth's voice was heard through the bracelet that was till around Khamsin's wrist

Yoshida felt awkward and rubbed her forearm, trying to find the correct words.

"You…didn't come to school today so…I came to check on you…"

"I see" Khamsin said in deep thought

Then he removed the towel from his waist. Yoshida blushed ten shades of red and immediately turned her back to him but not before taking a small glance of Khamsin's nudity, even if that was as vague as a second.

"W-W-W-W-What are you doing, Khamsin-san?!" she said in a thin voice, half-yelling in embarrassment.

Khamsin halted his moves for a second and blinked confused with her reaction but realization hit him soon after.

"Aah, that's right, Yoshida Kazumi-san is not used to this, right?"

He grabbed the underwear that was on the bed and started wearing it with slow and calm moves.

"In my country, the era I lived in, it was the only natural for someone to show their bodies to others and they wouldn't feel embarrassed… I am sorry I made Yoshida Kazumi-san feel uncomfortable"

Yoshida tried to ignore the soft sounds of clothing material that was hear behind her, or the bouncing of her heart that she was practically at the same room with a practically naked male child that was practically changing right behind her back, so she decided to change the subject.

"So…Khamsin-san…you live here…?"

"No" came the soft answer as Khamsin was putting pants on, "It is the first time we came here. If Uehara Teiichi-san's mother never met us, she would have forgotten she had a son"

"Hm, however our presence here made her act like nothing happened, just like the other students of your class did, young miss" Behemoth added

"Aah" Khamsin confirmed, "We fell on a Rinne today and we sensed the Power of Existence it had. Most likely Uehara Teiichi-san was eaten by it before becoming a Torch. Therefore, we decided to come here tonight and gather clues considering the Crimson Denizen we are after. In the morning we will leave and erase the trace of Uehara Teiichi-san from this house"

"Hm…it would be like he had never existed here…"

Yoshida bit her lip softly. So Uehara Teiichi's mother would forget she even had given birth to a son. It still sounded cruel to her no matter how many times she heard it. However she also remembered someone else; Khamsin's scarred body. Her knitted together, hands clenched each other.

"Ano…Khamsin-san…" she hesitated, "Those scars…when did you get them…?"

The rustling of clothes being worn stopped as Khamsin halted his moves for a second. After a moment of silence he spoke.

"I got them…long time ago…" he answered enigmatically however his voice hid something Yoshida couldn't put her finger on.

If she didn't know him better, she would say it hid never shed tears. In other words, she had them while he was a human, she thought.

"It is alright now, Yoshida Kazumi-san. You can look now" Khamsin said softly

She turned around to see he was right. He was dressed in Uehara Teiichi's long, blue pyjamas. The only towel he was wearing now was around his neck, still drying his hair with it. Oh how different he looked without his hooded jumper! He almost looked like a normal 10-year-old child!

"In any case…" Khamsin said, "We really appreciate your concern, Yoshida Kazumi-san"

Yoshida was shocked. Could he read her? Could he read her thoughts before she even made them? There was no way he could know that she was worried! She saw Khamsin carefully folding the towel and placing it on the bed before starting combing his long hair with his fingers.

"Ano…Khamsin-san…"

He stopped. He looked at her

"Yes, Yoshida Kazumi-san?"

She could feel her face burning as if it was on fire.

"Ano…l-let me…b-braid your hair…" she finally said

She had no idea where this had come from, she had no idea why she had suggested that, she had no idea even that this was her own voice suggesting it! Khamsin too seemed taken aback for he blinked a couple of times before saying.

"Uh…okay…" and nodded

* * *

Yoshida got hold of the small hairbrush that was upon Uehara Teiichi's writing desk and joined Khamsin on the bed, sitting right behind him, as he was sitting squatting on the bed. Yoshida first guided all his hair towards her. Khamsin Nbh'w's hair cascaded down his back lustrous and heavy like a river of chocolate, reaching almost down his waist.

Yoshida felt her breath being caught in her throat. She had never seen hair so heavy, so shiny and so soft as Khamsin Nbh'w's. Shana also had extremely long hair, double Khamsin's length however when she had accidentally touched them once or twice, they weren't nearly as soft as Khamsin's now was. She couldn't resist passing her fingers through his dark, maroon locks. It felt as if they were running between her fingers like water and they were soft as silk.

"Something the matter, Yoshida Kazumi-san?" Khamsin's voice brought her back to reality

Ashamed of herself she realized she had been staring too much.

"N-No" she stammered, "Nothing"

And she started slowly and softly brushing his hair to its entire length with the brush, so softly as if she was afraid she would scar his hair like this. With every move of the brush, Khamsin's hair seemed to become all the more lustrous, like melted silk. While looking at it in the light of the room, reminded her of rich Belgian chocolate while it was being poured, melted and warm into the cup.

"So soft…" she thought dreamily while carefully brushing the dark locks, "…and long…"

"S-So…" she started off in order to start a conversation, "H-How long will you stay to Misaki City, Khamsin-san…Behemoth-san…?"

"Aah, we were planning to stay for a little, but it all depends on how our Denizen will act"

"Hm" his contractor said approvingly, "In the end it all depends on how the Crimson Denizen will move…"

"I see…" she whispered finishing the brushing

She separated the silk locks in three sections and begun braiding them.

"And once your job here will be done…where are you planning to go?" she asked

"Aah…indeed we will" he confirmed, "The direction is still unknown though"

"Hm in the end it is just in the hands of destiny"

"I…see…" she whispered

It somehow felt strange. And she wondered why. She hadn't felt that way the first time she had to say goodbye to Khamsin. However what if she never saw him again? What if he got killed during his trips? She shook the thought off right away. She was almost done with the braid. Now it reached down the middle of his back like a thick, glossy rope of silk. She could see a few shorter hairs that wouldn't be tied within the braid, fall on his front, obviously over his forehead like he usually wore his hair.

"I'm done, Khamsin-san" she said

He looked over his shoulder.

"Aah, thank you very much" he said softly

Yoshida smiled gently and nodded her head to him

Soon Yoshida was on her way back home and Khamsin was left alone in Uehara Teiichi's room when suddenly a small sound like a tiny bell rang into his mind and he felt a slight tense on his body like a wave of cold air. He half-gasped.

"Sirius' Light Activated" Behemoth said softly

Yes, Khamsin knew it. It was the feeling of the Unrestricted Method responding to the same call it had that morning, however Khamsin could also feel the direction. His eyes half-opened when he realized where it was coming from.

* * *

Yoshida Kazumi was walking down the street, with her hands in the pockets of her brown jacket, looking down in deep thought as she was walking. She remembered her previous encounter with Khamsin Nbh'w not even ten minutes ago. In her head was still stuck his image for some reason…his body was thin and lean but also well-shaped in a simple, kind of exotic way and his dark skin was adding more to it…his rich and soft hair between her fingers…

She shook her head violently to lift those thoughts away. Why on Earth was she thinking about that now? Besides it wasn't the shape of his body that was truly bothering her but the fact that it was all covered with those scars. "Long time ago" he had said. It was a simple yet so enigmatic answer! How much must he had suffered since he got so many scars dug into his skin?

She was making all those thoughts that wouldn't lead her anywhere till the minute she stopped in her tracks by the sudden jolt of coldness she felt momentarily into her heart. It was an unfamiliar yet not at all unknown feeling to her. But everything happened in an instant before she had the chance even to think about it. The one moment there was this feeling and the other the Seal was around her feet and before she knew it everything around her became red and frozen in the Fuzetsu, the part of her world, was somehow detached by the rest of it, in this dimension with no time.

"W-What…!" she started

However this was the only thing she could do as she turned her look around cause right away blue creatures with no face, just bird beaks, and many arms (at least ten in total) and short legs started approaching her. They seemed to be at least twenty of them.

"Well, well, well…what do we here?" one of them spoke in a throaty tenor voice as if he had a walnut stuck to its throat, "…someone is moving in the Fuzetsu!"

"Is it a Mystes?" another of them said in similar voice

"Nah" the first one disagreed, "I sense some Hogu on her or something. In any case we can get her. Master will be SO pleased with a treat like her!"

The others laughed in union. Yoshida Kazumi was terrified, practically frozen and trembling on the spot, eyeing the creatures in fear. THIS was how she was going to die really? Have her Existence sucked dry by Crimson Denizens and then have her copy Torch created? What could she do? How could she defend herself against those creatures!

"No…" she whispered in high-pitched voice

She took a step back seeing the creature approaching, and another and another. Her eyes were burning with tears.

"No…" she repeated, "Don't come any closer…!"

The creatures approached two more steps.

"No! Don't come any closer!" Yoshida Kazumi screamed

And she started to run… It was the only thing she could do even if she knew there wasn't any chance for her to outrun them. The creatures were after her with hisses and growls. Yoshida was running till her foot tripped over something and she fell to the ground. She turned around terrified to see them coming closer. She could only close her eyes.

"NO!" she shrieked

However the hit she expected never came. On the contrary there was a blast of brown fire and the shriek of one of the creatures as it got hit, and before she knew it, Khamsin landed right before him, as if coming from the sky. He was once more dressed into his orange hooded jumper and black pants, and his Hogu always with him.

"Khamsin-san!" Yoshida exclaimed, never felt so much relief seeing him

"Aah…that was close, that was close" the perennial Flame Haze monologized almost playfully

"Hm" his Contractor agreed, "If we had come a moment later, young miss might have been in trouble indeed…"

"Aah" Khamsin agreed, already preparing another ball of brown flame to his hand, "It was a close call!"

And he threw the ball of fire to his opponents. A couple of more creatures shrieked. Khamsin looked over his shoulder.

"Are you alright, Yoshida Kazumi-san?"

Yoshida was still on the ground and for the first time she had to look upwards in order to see inside Khamsin's eyes, and right now he seemed like a true giant to her.

"Y-Yes" she said, "I am alright"

"Good" Khamsin said softly before turning his gaze back to the opponents

"Aah" he said to his contractor, "They are indeed more than the one we faced today, is it not?"

"Hm…for sure Durah didn't miss any time"

The name was unknown to Yoshida, however the result was all the same. Khamsin leaped in the air and using his large Hogu as if it was some kind of sword, he knocked one of the creatures that came after him. With the same, absolute calmness he knocked one of the others that came right after. Another blast of brown flame took down another one and with a fast swing of his "weapon" a rock was detached from a building close to him and thrown to a team of shrieking creature, raising a cloud of flying rocks and dust as it hit the ground. Some of the blue spider-like creatures realized he was a Flame Haze, so they turned their attention to the weak target; Yoshida.

Once Yoshida saw that the target was now her and saw them come to her at once she screamed once more. This drew Khamsin's attention, who looked over his shoulder and gasped softly, and the next thing he did was to extend his open palm towards her part and say softly, yet rashly.

"Seth's Wheel! Activate!"

"Unrestricted Method; Seth's Wheel, activate" his contractor voice almost at once

"Deploy!"

A ring of stones went flying around Yoshida, forming a flying, moving stone fortress the creatures hit on and got reflected. She gasped in awe seeing the fast way Khamsin had reacted. However right after a creature hit Khamsin to the stomach, sending him flying backwards. Khamsin though did a turn in mid-air and landed to his feet.

"Are you alright, Khamsin-san?!" Yoshida exclaimed

"Aah" Khamsin whispered, while standing to his feet but it was uncertain whether he was referring to her or his contractor, "Careless on my part, I looked away"

He stood up completely and eyed his opponents.

"Aah…indeed I think we should be ending this, is it not?"

"Hm…indeed we should so, Khamsin Nbh'w"

Khamsin raised the large instrument over his head, gave it a few spins and then suddenly aimed it towards his remaining targets. As if he was an orchestra conductor, the stones that previously had guarded Yoshida, left their previous spot (around her) and got ejaculated towards the creatures, a mix of brown fire and stones, like a rain of meteors. Whatever was left of the enemy, was buried beneath stones…

* * *

Yoshida was still partly trembling by the shock she had received, on a park bench. Never before had she been so close at being attacked, personally by creatures of the Crimson World. Not so directly and never so many of them. Her mind was still racing at the scene. Right after the fight, Khamsin had raised his arm and index finger and a bright light in the colour of Aurora lights had illuminated everything fixing all the damage done with the battle. She had seen Shana and Margery do that once or twice in the past…

Khamsin was a few meters away, at one of those street coffee machines. It wasn't too long after when he came to join her, offering a warm can of hot chocolate. Kazumi looked up and felt gratefulness for his considerate thought and kind act.

"Thank you…" she accepted the can gratefully and took a ship

It was sweet and warm…exactly what she needed right now to calm down. She noticed with the corner of her eye that Khamsin was sitting close to her without saying a word, as if he was giving her time and space to calm herself.

"Ano…" she started, "Thank you…for saving my life…"

Khamsin didn't answer. It was so unlike him to come to direct acts of heroism over humans. As a Flame Haze he always looked after his duty however when he saw her in this position the only thing he could think of was how to save her.

"So…" she started once more, "Those were…Denizens…?"

"No" he answered calmly, "Those were just Rinne, Existences that cannot live on their own and they live only to satisfy their Master. Rinne hunt, the Master eats"

Rinne… She had heard that word before. So THAT was what a Rinne looked like.

"Web of Demise, Durah, the Denizen we are after has this very special ability, to create so many Rinne at once. We got stuck with one of them this morning and that was mainly the reason we did not show up at school today, Yoshida Kazumi-san"

Yes, Yoshida had realized that would be the case.

"Aah, we never expected that Durah's Rinne would come after you, Yoshida Kazumi-san. They must have sensed some of our aura on you and so they thought you would be a good catch for them to bring to their Master."

His tone was almost apologetic, despite the fact that it was still almost emotionless. Yoshida could feel in the atmosphere, by the way his wine-coloured eyes were staring deep in hers, with nobility and in, daresay, concern she could tell he was apologizing, as if he had other choice on the matter, as if he hadn't saved her by certain death a few minutes ago and even received a hit over her, while protecting her! Who! The most ancient Flame Haze that could be walking around in this world! The one who probably had faced countless battles had received a hit by a single Rinne, a creature below even the lowest Crimson Denizens, because he had his attention at her!

"N-No…don't apologize, Khamsin-san" she tried to find her voice again

It was happening again…

"Hm, what my partner is trying to say is that you probably got into danger because of us and for that we are apologizing" Behemoth added.

It was happening again…

"Aah, we never intended involving Yoshida Kazumi-san into this"

It was happening again…over and over. Every time things like this happened, Yoshida was even more painfully realizing that the gap between her and the Flame Haze World was growing bigger and bigger. She knew she could never walk alongside them. She couldn't even outrun a few Rinne…

However what Yoshida truly feared was that she was getting all the more further than them, all the more distant… She mostly feared that one day she would stay outside of everything, only watching their backs while they marched to battle, useless and crying for losing them.

It had happened with Sakai Yuji.

It had happened with Shana

It had happened with Satou Keisaku when he went to Outlaw

It wouldn't happen with Khamsin too! Not with Khamsin! Not after what they had been through! All her friends had moved forward! Time for her to do the same.

"Khamsin-san!" she suddenly spoke more determined than ever

Khamsin looked at him, kind of surprised by her sudden determination. Yoshida's eyes were indeed sparkling, the eyes of a woman that wouldn't back down or hide anymore. It took her a life-and-death experience to find her strength, but now she found it.

"I want to know, Khamsin-san…if it is one day to claim a place close to Sakai-kun, Shana-chan…Khamsin-san too…I want to know everything about this world, without the slightest detail to be hidden. I was running away from truth but not anymore! I won't lose any more important people to me because I cower away! Khamsin-san!"

She looked at him once more, to show him she meant her words down to the last letter.

"Please tell me everything about you! About your past! Do not hide anything of it, please!"

Khamsin's eyes widened in pure surprise now, and it was the clearest emotion he had showed so far. Yoshida's gaze did not change to the slightest.

"Please…" she repeated, "I want to know everything about Khamsin-san!"

* * *

 **Devitation No 777 (for Deviantart)**  
 **and it is the third chapter of this story!**

 **Hehehehehe! I wanted to have an awkward moment between them like it happened countless times with Yuji and Shana!**  
 **However it was a sweet moment too, at least that is what I wanted to show**

 **I wanted to keep it as much as IC as possible, especially with the rescue scene since for the first time (in my story) Khamsin ever**  
 **saved someone yet alone Yoshida Kazumi. I hope it worked well.**  
 **Now someone might say why Kazumi was so sceared by those creatures while she had got an idea of Crimson World. Well she was**  
 **never chosen as a direct target in the anime, no matter what the situation, during the first two seasons she was never personally attacked and in the third season she was attacked but she had her friends closeby. So I guess you...forgive her for panicking!**

 **The previous scene of course was something random that came to my mind. I just was dying to make Kazumi take care of Khamsin**  
 **in a very simple and sweet way; brush and braid his hair! I think Khamsin too must have felt a nostalgia since when he was**  
 **a prince he probably had someone to take care of him like that once in a while**

 **Uh-Oh! What happens next? Wait and see! I hope you like it so far (especially** _QianaKing_ **and** _Symmetrical-neko_ **)**


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